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Celebrating Ontario's Athletes

 

April 16, 2010 5:00 AM

McGuinty Government Recognizes Contributions To Amateur Sport

Ontario's top amateur athletes were honoured at the 2009 Ontario Sport Awards last night in Toronto.

The event, hosted by the Ministry of Health Promotion and the Sport Alliance of Ontario, also recognized the outstanding contributions of coaches, officials, volunteers and corporate supporters to amateur sport in Ontario.

Award winners included: 

  • Male Athlete of the Year - Patrick Chan (Skating)
  • Female Athlete of the Year - Priscilla Lopes-Schliep (Athletics)
  • Male Athlete with a Disability of the Year - Stephen Jesso (Powerlifting)
  • Female Athlete with a Disability of the Year - Erika Schmutz (Wheelchair Rugby)

The province provides support to high-performance athletes and coaches through the Quest for Gold program and committed $10 million towards the program in 2010-11.

Ontario's athletes and coaches will have the opportunity to showcase their skills at home when the GTA hosts the Pan/Parapan American Games in summer 2015. The Games will create thousands of construction jobs, improve sports infrastructure, and bring 250,000 athletes, coaches and tourists to Ontario.

QUICK FACTS

 
  • The Ontario Sport Awards have been honouring outstanding achievement in Ontario amateur sport since 1965 and is the highest form of recognition for sport excellence in the province.
  • Previous recipients include Elvis Stojko, Donovan Bailey, Silken Laumann and Lennox Lewis.
  • Award winners are chosen by the Sport Awards Selection Committee, a group of former athletes and sport administrators from Ontario.

CONTACTS

  • Wendy Vincent
    Minister's Office
    416-326-8497
    wendy.vincent@nullontario.ca
  • Gillian MacDonald
    Communications
    416-326-7765
    gillian.macdonald@nullontario.ca



Ministry of Health Promotion
ontario.ca/health-promotion


 

"The McGuinty government is proud of our athletes and we are pleased to play a role in their quest to be the best they can be. Our athletes are fantastic role models who inspire people of all ages and abilities to lead healthy, active lives. I congratulate all award nominees and winners and thank them for helping develop amateur sport in communities across Ontario."

 – Margarett Best
Minister of Health Promotion

"The Sport Alliance of Ontario is very proud to work in collaboration with the Ministry of Health Promotion in presenting the Ontario Sport Awards. We are thrilled to be able to celebrate the achievements of our athletes, coaches and volunteers in sport. We appreciate the support of the government for the Ontario Games program and other sport related initiatives."

 – Holly Abraham
Chair, Sport Alliance of Ontario